Search Publications
Optical extinction due to aerosols in the upper haze of Venus: Four years of SOIR/VEX observations from 2006 to 2010
Bertaux, Jean-Loup; Vandaele, Ann Carine; Robert, Séverine +3 more
The variability of the aerosol loading in the mesosphere of Venus is investigated from a large data set obtained with SOIR, a channel of the SPICAV instrument suite onboard Venus Express. Vertical profiles of the extinction due to light absorption by aerosols are retrieved from a spectral window around 3.0 µm recorded in many solar occultati…
Observations of Titan’s Northern lakes at 5 µm: Implications for the organic cycle and geology
Le Mouélic, S.; Rodriguez, S.; Sotin, C. +13 more
Since Titan entered Northern spring in August 2009, the North Pole has been illuminated allowing observations at optical wavelengths. On June 5, 2010 the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) onboard the Cassini spacecraft observed the Northern Pole area with a pixel size from 3 to 7 km. Since, as we demonstrate, little of the solar flux…
Interpretation of combined infrared, submillimeter, and millimeter thermal flux data obtained during the Rosetta fly-by of Asteroid (21) Lutetia
Capaccioni, F.; Lee, S.; Hofstadter, M. +9 more
The European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft is the first Solar System mission to include instrumentation capable of measuring planetary thermal fluxes at both near-IR (VIRTIS) and submillimeter-millimeter (smm-mm, MIRO) wavelengths. Its primary mission is a 1 year reconnaissance of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko beginning in 2014. During a 201…
Vertical structure of the Venus cloud top from the VeRa and VIRTIS observations onboard Venus Express
Pätzold, M.; Drossart, P.; Piccioni, G. +6 more
We investigate the Venus cloud top structure by joint analysis of the data from Visual and Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) and the atmospheric temperature sounding by the Radio Science experiment (VeRa) onboard Venus Express. The cloud top altitude and aerosol scale height are derived by fitting VIRTIS spectra at 4-5 µm with t…
Major episodes of geologic history of Isidis Planitia on Mars
Hiesinger, H.; Ivanov, M. A.; Erkeling, G. +2 more
We have mapped the area of Isidis Planitia (1-27°N, 75-103°E) in order to assess the geologic history of this region using modern data sets such as MOLA topography and the high-resolution images provided by the HRSC, CTX, and HiRISE cameras. Results of our mapping show that the geologic history of Isidis Planitia consists of three principal episod…
The structure of Titan’s atmosphere from Cassini radio occultations: Occultations from the Prime and Equinox missions
French, Richard G.; Flasar, F. Michael; Marouf, Essam A. +7 more
We present the results of six soundings of the atmosphere of Titan by the radio occultation technique using the Cassini spacecraft currently in orbit around Saturn. These occultations occurred during four separate targeted Titan encounters in both the Prime and Equinox missions of Cassini over 3 years. They cover a wide range of latitude from 75°S…
Climate-driven deposition of water ice and the formation of mounds in craters in Mars’ north polar region
Le Mouélic, Stéphane; Conway, Susan J.; Orosei, Roberto +4 more
This paper explores the origins and evolution of ice-rich interior mounds found within craters of the north polar region of Mars. We present a systematic study of impact craters above 65°N, and identify 18 craters that have interior mounds. At least 11 of these mounds are composed of water ice and geometric similarities suggest that dune-covered m…
Water vapor near the cloud tops of Venus from Venus Express/VIRTIS dayside data
Drossart, P.; Piccioni, G.; Grassi, D. +3 more
Observations of the dayside of Venus performed by the high spectral resolution channel (-H) of the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) on board the ESA Venus Express mission have been used to measure the altitude of the cloud tops and the water vapor abundance around this level with a spatial resolution ranging from 100 to 1…
Geomorphological significance of Ontario Lacus on Titan: Integrated interpretation of Cassini VIMS, ISS and RADAR data and comparison with the Etosha Pan (Namibia)
Le Mouélic, S.; Cornet, T.; Rodriguez, S. +11 more
Ontario Lacus is the largest lake of the whole southern hemisphere of Titan, Saturn's major moon. It has been imaged twice by each of the Cassini imaging systems (Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) in 2004 and 2005, Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) in 2007 and 2009 and RADAR in 2009 and 2010). We compile a geomorphological map and deri…
Patterns of accumulation and flow of ice in the mid-latitudes of Mars during the Amazonian
Head, James W.; Fassett, Caleb I.; Dickson, James L.
Evidence has accumulated that non-polar portions of Mars have undergone significant periods of glaciation during the Amazonian Period. This evidence includes tropical mountain glacial deposits, lobate debris aprons, lineated valley fill, concentric crater fill, pedestal craters, and related landforms, some of which suggest that ice thicknesses exc…